Mexico: Fourth Journalist Murdered Since Start of 2016

April 27, 2016

PEN America joins PEN Mexico in condemning the death of journalist Francisco Pachecho and calling on the Mexican government to work to ensure the safety of journalists and their families. Four journalists have been killed since the start of 2016 in the country. PEN Mexico’s statement can be found below.

PEN Mexico condemns the killing of Francisco Pacheco

Mexico City, April 25, 2016

Francisco Pacheco Beltran, correspondent for the newspaper El Sol de Acapulco, editor of the newspaper El Taxco Forum and correspondent for the radio station Max Capital 97.1 FM, was killed this morning when returning to his home in Taxco, Guerrero, around 6.30 am.

According to Article 19, Pacheco was very critical of the three levels of government in Mexico. He covered police sources, local politics, and tourism for the various media outlets for which he worked and was particularly critical of the current administration of the mayor of Taxco Omar, Jalil Flores.

PEN Mexico urges the Mexican authorities, especially the Guerrero State Attorney General to conduct a clear and impartial investigation into the killing of this Pacheco, taking into account his work as a journalist.

We also join civil society organizations in their appeal to the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists to ensure the safety of the journalist’s family and all journalists who face threats in the country.

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